


How To Raise Heroes

by realityisoverrated



Series: Infinite Love [121]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Polyamory, Polyfidelity, Smoaking billionaires, Toliver, flommy, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 07:18:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11435898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realityisoverrated/pseuds/realityisoverrated
Summary: Tommy is married to two heroes, so it shouldn't really surprise him when he realizes his children are turning into heroes too. Is it too much to ask for his kids to take up knitting instead of archery?





	How To Raise Heroes

**Author's Note:**

> This story depicts a polyamorous relationship between one woman and two men. If this is not something you are interested in, please stop and go no further. 
> 
> I'm back. I've been playing with this installment over the course of several months. I almost titled it, Poor Tommy. This fic begins right after Oliver agrees to train William and follows the family over the course of 11 years.
> 
> A big thank you and squishy hug to ligiapimenta who surprised me this morning with, not one, but two, pieces of art for this series. I'm debuting one today and the second on Wednesday.
> 
> This installment is 99/121. The installment list has grown too long for the notes section. You can now find the chronological list for the series, with hyperlinks, at http://archiveofourown.org/works/11051019
> 
> If you are new to the series, welcome.
> 
> Arrow and its characters do not belong to me.

Artwork by ligiapimenta

 

**2028**

Tommy leaned against the kitchen counter and stared at his husband in stunned silence. It was bad enough William and Emma had figured out that Oliver was the Green Arrow, but what he was hearing now defied all logic and reason. There was only one word he could manage, but it would have to be enough, “No.”

“No?” Oliver’s brow furrowed. “I wasn’t asking a question.”

Tommy began to pace, “Did you ask Sam if this was okay?”

Oliver’s fingers began to rub together, “I left the decision to William. If he wants his mom to know, he can tell her.”

“You left the decision to William?” Tommy asked incredulously. “I wonder what the nineteen-year-old’s decision will be? Oh, I know. Of course, he’s not going to tell his mom. Get real, Ollie.”

“Tommy,” Oliver sighed.

“No, don’t you dare Tommy me. On behalf of the mother of your eldest, I’m telling you, no. You are not turning her son into a vigilante.”

“You’re not his father, you don’t get a vote,” Oliver said angrily.

Oliver’s words stung. Tommy loved William as if he were his own. He was Oliver’s son, which made him as dear to his own heart as Bobby, Becca, Nate and Prue. Tommy lost his rein on his temper, “You seem to forget the arrangement we made when we became parents. Biology is irrelevant in this house. I’ll be damned if this city takes another generation of the people I love. This city got you and Felicity, it won’t get William, or Robert, or Rebecca, or Nathaniel, or Prudence.”

“No one is talking about putting masks on our kids,” Oliver said with exasperation.

“Wayne put a mask on his kid before puberty even hit,” Tommy pointed out. “None of you are invincible, and neither are our kids.”

“I’m not Bruce Wayne,” Oliver shouted. “I’d never take our children out on the streets.”

“William is one of our children and you just announced your intention to put him in a mask,” Tommy shouted.

“Careful,” Oliver hissed. “Let’s not wake Felicity or the kids.”

Tommy lifted a hand in acknowledgment and nodded his head.

“He wants to do it,” Oliver responded, “and he’s no longer a child.”

“Since when do we let our children do whatever the hell they want?”

“He’s nineteen,” Oliver snapped. “The decision has been made.”

Tommy stepped into his husband’s personal space and glared into his husband’s eyes, “You listen to me, Oliver Jonas Queen, we have four children together and I’m telling you right now, they will never wear masks. I am not raising our children to be soldiers in your war. My children will not be shot at. My children will not be stitched up by their mom in the basement of a night club. Do you understand me?”

“Tommy,” Oliver gripped his husband’s arms, “you don’t have anything to worry about. I promise.”

“I will leave you.” Tommy ducked his head to make sure Oliver was looking at him and hearing his words, “This is not an idle threat. Do you understand?”

“Please,” Oliver said softly, “threaten me with anything, but don’t threaten me with that. Our marriage isn’t a weapon you can wield to get your way.”

“It’s the only weapon I have,” Tommy said apologetically, “and I will use whatever I have to protect my children.”

Oliver flinched at his husband’s words, “You don’t need to protect our children from me.”

“I don’t need to protect them from Oliver, but I do need to protect them from the siren call of the Green Arrow. You were able to convince John and Felicity to join your crusade when you were working out of a flooded and rat infested basement, dropping bodies on a list. What chance do our children have of resisting the mission of a Justice League hero, especially when the leader is the dad they worship? No, Ollie, when it comes to our children and their safety, you don’t get the final say, I do. William isn’t going out on the street until I’m convinced he’s not going to get himself killed in the first five minutes. If I’m not convinced he can take care of himself and you choose to still let him put on a mask, I will call Sam,” Tommy promised.

“I would never put William out on the street unless I thought he could handle it. I don’t want him to get hurt,” Oliver said defensively.

“I know you don’t, but here’s the thing, Ollie, he is going to get hurt. All of you have been hurt. If you let him put on a mask, William is going to get hurt. Don’t lie to yourself about what he’ll face or how you’ll cope if he gets killed while dressed in leather.”

“Don’t lecture me about the consequences,” Oliver hissed. “We make that choice every day because we believe in what we’re fighting for.”

“I know you do and I love you and Felicity for it, but if our kids want to fight for this city, they’re going to need to find another way to do it. My children – our children – they’re not going to bleed for Starling.”

“Our children will grow up and have minds of their own,” Oliver reminded his husband. “They will make their own choices, just like we did.”

“Yes,” Tommy said as he lined up two bottles on the counter, “they’ll have minds of their own and a father who will do everything in his power to keep them out of masks.”

Oliver carefully filled the bottles with warmed milk, “Everything I do, is so that they never have to put on a mask. I don’t want this life for them either.”

“Then why are you training William?” Tommy challenged.

“Because he found out the truth and he’s got skills with a bow. It’s better for him to be trained by us than for him to get ideas of doing this on his own.” Oliver wrapped his arms around Tommy’s waist, “He’s too much like me.”

“I know,” Tommy placed his hand over Oliver’s heart, “that’s what scares me.”

Oliver dropped his forehead to Tommy’s, “It scares me too.”

 

**2029**

The summer sun was low in the sky and another perfect day was drawing to a close. The Merlyn-Queen-Smoaks had spent the day at the Queen mansion with the Harpers. The adults were all lounging on the patio making plans for the family outing to the Rocket’s game the following weekend and the children were chasing one another on the lawn. The sound of the children’s laughter and shrieking drowned out the noise of nature.

A sudden quiet immediately had all the parents sitting up and ceasing their conversation. Five pairs of eyes drifted across the lawn to the pool house. Tommy rose to his feet as he realized that five little heads were all looking towards the roof of the pool house. His gaze followed the children’s and he reached for his husband. “Ollie,” he said with his heart in his mouth.

Walking barefoot along the roof of the pool house was five-year-old Becca. Her arms were extended for balance as she scaled the narrow peak towards her intended prize, a red Frisbee.

“Shit,” Oliver muttered as he hopped the low patio wall and trotted across the lawn with Roy on his heels.

Felicity tugged on Tommy’s arm and he allowed her to pull him towards the pool house. His eyes never left his daughter’s small frame climbing higher and higher. He willed every step she took to be sure and steady. Becca moved gracefully and without the slightest evidence of fear. She reached the Frisbee and held it above her head in triumph. Her smile was radiant with the pride of her accomplishment.

“What’re you doing up there, sweetheart?” Oliver asked calmly.

“Daddy, I got the Frisbee,” she held it out for him to see.

“I can see that. How’d you get up on the roof?” Oliver’s tone remained neutral.

Becca tilted her head in the same manner her mother did when she was questioning the intelligence of Oliver or Tommy, “I climbed.”

“Well, you certainly did a good job of climbing up there. How do you feel about climbing back down?” Oliver inquired.

Tommy couldn’t help shooting a look at his husband. Oliver was clearly proud that their, not even in kindergarten yet, daughter had climbed a two-story building. Tommy had a terrifying thought that Oliver might be inadvertently raising the next generation of Starling heroes. “Ollie, go get her,” Tommy prompted.

“I can get down,” Becca replied. She returned her attention the roof and began to make her descent. She dropped from the roof onto a balustrade, which she traversed like a tightrope. She lowered herself over the railing and dangled thirteen feet in the air. She let go with one hand and began to swing herself to gain momentum. In mid-swing, she let go with her other hand and stretched out to grab the drain pipe. Becca effortlessly flew through the air and landed on the drainpipe with barely a sound. She shimmied down the pipe until both feet were firmly on the ground. She grinned up at Oliver as she awaited his praise.

“That was something to see,” Oliver knelt in front of Becca, “but it was also very dangerous. You need to ask me or your mom or dad before you can do something unsafe.”

Becca wrapped her arms around Oliver’s neck, “But, daddy, I was safe. It was just like the monkey bars at the park.”

Tommy let out a sound that was half way between a laugh and a sob. Becca looked at him and she was instantly awash with concern. She let go of Oliver and stood before Tommy. She looked up at him with her wide blue eyes, “Are you mad?”

Taking a deep breath, Tommy did his best to release his anger as he exhaled. His daughter hadn’t chosen to go up on the roof as an act of defiance or to take fifteen years off his life. Becca did it, because she could. He lifted her into his arms and kissed her forehead, “I’m not mad, but you worried, da. You could’ve fallen and hurt yourself. I’m telling you, right now, you are never to do that again.”

Becca scowled at him and pointed across the lawn, “Daddy says you used to climb that tree and hang from its branches.”

At Tommy’s look, Oliver gave him an apologetic smile. It seemed that Tommy’s youthful exploits were going to get turned against him by his children a lot sooner than he expected.

“Well, your daddy and I used to do a lot of stupid things.” Tommy held his daughter close, “You, your brothers and sister are my babies. I don’t want any of you to get hurt. Please, no more climbing onto roofs.

“All right monkeys,” Felicity called out to her brood, “time to go home.”

Becca wriggled out of Tommy’s arms to run after her siblings and cousins who were racing ahead of their parents towards the mansion. Tommy grabbed Oliver’s arm as he walked past, “No more gymnastics. No more parkour.”

“Tommy,” Oliver’s eyes sought his husband’s, “she was safe. Becca has a great sense of balance and an excellent instinct.”

“To what end?” Tommy hated himself for the tears welling his eyes as he remembered an earlier fight with his husband. “I already told you, Starling owns my husband and wife, I’ll be damned if I sacrifice my children to her too.” He squeezed Oliver’s arm, “This is me, telling you, no. This stops now. My children – our children - are never going to wear masks.” He let go of Oliver’s arm and walked quickly after their brood.

 

**2030**

The first thing Tommy noticed when he stepped inside his home was that it was entirely too quiet. For a house that was supposed to contain seven children to be silent, made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. With grocery bags in hand, he walked towards the kitchen, but stopped at the open living room doors. Roy was seated on the floor surrounded by four Smoaks, two Harpers and one Diggle. The children all had their heads down and were intent on whatever project Roy had them working on. Roy gave Tommy a smile and returned his focus to Nate.

Felicity, Oliver, Thea, John and Lyla were all sitting around the kitchen table drinking wine and laughing about something Thea had said. Upon Tommy entering the room, Oliver was instantly on his feet, “Here, let me help you with that.”

Tommy accepted Oliver’s offer of help and a chaste kiss, “Thanks.”

“I thought you were only going for tomatoes,” Oliver commented as he perused the six cloth bags Tommy had returned with.

“You know me and a Farmer’s Market,” Tommy said with a wink.

Felicity instantly perked up, “Was there pie or cheese?” She abandoned her spot at the table to supervise the unloading of the groceries.

Tommy put out a plate of cheese, crackers, apples and olives for their guests. He sat down at the table with a glass of wine and put his arm around Felicity, “What are we talking about?”

“We realized that this year is a big birthday year in this family,” Lyla squeezed Dig’s hand. “Felicity turned forty, you guys turned forty-five and John will be fifty.”

“I was thinking everyone should join us in Italy for two weeks this summer. We could have a big blow out celebration with the whole family,” Felicity said with excitement. “It was our tenth anniversary and Thea and Roy’s tenth. So much to celebrate.”

Oliver’s face lit up, “I bought the house to fill it with the people we love. A two week celebration sounds like fun.”

Tommy’s thoughts drifted away from the conversation at the table as he realized that the children were still being quiet. He tried to picture what the kids had been working so intently on when he walked by, but the memory was elusive. Roy had a small cloth case next to his leg and Tommy suddenly realized what Roy was doing with their kids. His eyebrows crawled to his hairline, “Is Roy teaching our kids to pick locks?”

“It’s a useful skill,” Lyla said as she took another sip of wine.

“Not one they can put on their resumes,” Tommy sputtered. He turned to Oliver, “Are you okay with this?”

Oliver shrugged, “They’ve been quiet for more than an hour. It’s teaching them focus.”

“Is lock picking really the best skillset to be equipping our children with?” Tommy looked between his spouses. “They’re pretty inventive with getting themselves into trouble without us providing them with a criminal talent. What’s next? Safecracking?”

“They’ve been told, no picking locks outside of the house,” Oliver said like he believed that rule was going to be adhered to.

“You’ve met our kids, right? There are four of them. Really cute and all smarter than you and me combined,” Tommy said as he imagined the phone calls he was going to get from the twins’ principal – and they still had another two years before they started kindergarten.

 

**2031**

The sound of cheering had the adults all turning towards the back door.  The children were outside playing in the garden.  Thea got up from the table and looked outside.

"What?" Tommy asked as his sister's shoulders went rigid.

"It's not any different from the balance beam," she tried to reassure him.

Tommy's chair scraped as he quickly rose to his feet, "Which one?"

"The twins," she said apologetically.

"Oliver," Tommy said as he watched his four-year-olds walk on their hands across the beam of the swing set.

Nate and Prue were ten feet off the ground - standing on their hands - their tiny feet pointed at the sky - as they placed one hand in front of the other and traversed the length of the swing set.

"Oliver," Tommy said again with a little more desperation.

"They’re fine," Oliver stated calmly.  "Let's go out and spot them," he said to Roy.

Tommy and Roy followed Oliver across the lawn of their Italian villa.  When Prue reached the end of the frame, she bent her arms until her chest touched the wood and then she lowered her legs until she straddled the beam.  Nate, arched his back until his feet touched the beam behind him.  Once his feet were firmly on the wood, he stood straight up with his arms to his sides for balance.  Bobby, Becca, Mia, and Scott all gave the twins a round of enthusiastic applause.

"I know your mom and dads call you guys monkeys, but you do realize you aren't actually monkeys?" Roy asked his niece and nephew.

"Did you see?" Nate asked.

"I did," Roy answered with a smile. He held out his arms, "Why don't we discuss it on the ground?"

Prue swung her leg over the beam and lowered herself by her arms until she dangled over the ground.  Oliver took hold over legs and said, "I've got you.  Let go."

Prue let go and giggled as Oliver lowered her to his chest, "That was fun."

Nate decided to walk across the beam towards the climbing frame and slide. Tommy waited for him at the bottom of the slide, "Where are your glasses?"

Nate’s eyes were unfocused as he smiled up at Tommy, "I didn't want to break them.  Bobby has them."

"You didn't think you needed to see where you were going?" Tommy challenged his son.

Nate shrugged, "My hands and feet could feel where I was going."

Tommy took Nate's glasses from Bobby and returned them to Nate’s face, "If you asked me which I preferred, a broken pair of glasses, or you with a broken leg, which do you think I'd choose?"

"Broken glasses," Nate replied with a sheepish smile.

"There's only one Nathaniel Edward Smoak in the whole entire world," Tommy explained to his son.  "I need you to be more careful."

"Okay, da," Nate grinned.

"That goes for you too," Tommy took Prue from Oliver's arms and kissed her cheek. “There’s only one Prudence Harper Smoak.”

"If you guys are going to practice tumbling," Roy said to the children, "let's stay on the ground.  No more aerial acrobatics. Okay?"

"Yes," Mia replied.

Scott looked disappointed, "It was my turn."

"It can still be your turn - but on the ground," Roy ruffled his son's blonde hair.

Scott immediately dropped his hands to the ground and kicked his legs into the air.  Once his handstand was stable, he began to walk around on his hands.  Soon, his sister and all their cousins were on their hands, chasing one another.

"If Felicity ever runs QC into the ground, we know our kids will have a future with Cirque de Soleil," Thea teased.

"I would like to go on record saying that none of this behavior comes from my gene pool.  Smoaks do not do handstands," Felicity said as she dodged Scott chasing Prue.  "We're not known for upper body strength, or, eye hand coordination. We're more of a sitting people."

"When do the knife throwing lessons begin?" Tommy asked sarcastically.

"Knife throwing will need to wait for Sara and Nyssa’s visit next week," Oliver said with a straight face.  "They’re much better at it than I am."

Tommy knew that Oliver was joking, but he made a mental note to hide the knives before Sara and Nyssa joined them in Italy - just to be safe.

 

 

**2033**

“Don’t gloat, it’s unbecoming,” Tommy said to Oliver as they walked to their minivan.

“I’m not gloating. I’m proud. Our children are all coming home with first place trophies,” Oliver grinned.

“People are going to think it’s suspicious that your children have an unusual gift for archery,” Tommy pointed out. Not everyone had forgotten that Oliver Queen had been suspected of being the Arrow on more than one occasion. Oliver had placed a bow and arrow in each child’s hands from the moment they could walk. Unsurprising, archery was one of the most popular sports in Starling. Little kids dressed as the Green Arrow and Arsenal for Halloween. It seemed like all the city’s children wanted to be the Green Arrow when they grew up and all wanted to take archery lessons. Centers sprouted up all over town, but the Smoak children learned in their Cobble Hill backyard.

“Nate,” Tommy shouted across the parking lot, “get down from there.”

Nate waved from the lamppost he was climbing. His bow and quiver were on his back as he shimmied up the metal pole, “I think there’s a bird’s nest.”

“If the momma bird wanted you looking at her babies, she would’ve put the nest on the ground. Get down,” Tommy pointed to the ground.

Tommy could practically hear their five-year-old sigh as he slid down the pole.

 

**2033**

The light over the kitchen oven was on when Tommy went downstairs to make a cup of tea. He’d been awake all night worrying about biopsy results for Prue. As he shuffled into the kitchen he was surprised to see his eldest sitting at the table with his laptop open. “What are you doing up?” he asked his son.

Bobby nearly jumped out of his seat and quickly closed the lid to his laptop. “Da, what are you doing?” he stuttered as his ears and face turned red.

Tommy made his way over to the table. His son was twelve, he could only imagine what he’d been looking at that would make him turn beat red when his dad walked into the room. Tommy sat across from Bobby and tapped the laptop, “It’s okay if you’re curious about girls.”

Bobby’s eyes went wide and he began to sputter, “I, I, I,”

“It’s a perfectly normal part of growing up to be curious about girls and sex,” Tommy said through a yawn. “Do you have questions?”

“Da,” Bobby whined, “I’m not looking at girls.”

Tommy tilted his head, “It’s okay to be curious about boys too.”

Bobby rolled his eyes, “Da, I’m not looking at porn.”

Tommy narrowed his eyes at his son, “If you’re not looking at naked pictures, why’d you slam your laptop shut? What are you up to?”

Bobby stood up and tucked his laptop beneath his arm, “Nothing, I was just working on homework.”

Tommy gently took hold of his son’s arm, “You do realize that I’m not new at parenting? You’re not working on homework, because it’s August and school doesn’t start for another two weeks. Try again.”

“Nothing, it’s personal,” Bobby said shifting on his feet.

Tommy took the laptop from his son’s hands, “What were you looking at?”

Bobby reached for his laptop, “Da, it’s nothing.”

“You have two choices. You can show me what you were working on, or, I will wake up your mom, who spent last night sleeping at the hospital with your sister, so she can tell me what you’re doing,” Tommy said trying to maintain his patience.

“Fine,” Bobby huffed. He unlocked the tablet and spun it for Tommy to look at.

Tommy narrowed his eyes, “You hacked into your high school. Why?”

Bobby shrugged.

Tommy closed his eyes and counted to ten. His temper was barely in check when he opened his eyes, “Bobby, I need you to tell me exactly what you’re doing. I’m not in the mood for guessing games with your sister in the hospital.”

“I got my schedule today,” Bobby shifted in his seat. “I was trying to swap physics teachers.”

“You want to change classes? Why?” Tommy asked.

“I like Mrs. Andrews better than Mr. Epstein,” Bobby answered. “She’s nicer.”

Tommy rubbed his head, “Instead of committing a felony, we could’ve gone to the school and asked them to switch teachers for you.”

Bobby snorted, “Yeah, in the next two weeks you’d totally find time to go talk to my principal.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I get it, Prue’s in the hospital. You don’t have time for the rest of us. I was trying to fix it on my own. I wasn’t hurting anyone,” Bobby said huffily.

Tommy rubbed his face and cursed under his breath. Bobby was right, everyone’s priorities had shifted because of Prue and her current health crisis. “Bobby,” Tommy took his son’s hand, “I’m sorry. You’re right. Your mom, dad and I have been focused elsewhere. I’m sorry that we made you feel like you couldn’t come to us with a problem. We love you and you are our priority too.”

“Just not as important as Prue,” Bobby said sullenly.

“Come on, Bobby. Be fair,” Tommy chided his son. “You know exactly why your mom, dad and I have been distracted. That doesn’t make you less important, but sometimes we need to triage a situation. If you don’t tell us you need help, how can we reprioritize?”

“I thought I could handle it on my own,” Bobby answered. “I didn’t want to bother you.”

“For the record, committing a felony isn’t handling a situation. In the morning, I’ll call the school and schedule a meeting with your principal to discuss changing your physics teacher. You’re going to have to come up with a better reason for switching teachers – she’s nicer, isn’t going to cut it.”

Bobby sighed, “Mr. Epstein has a very vocal opinion on QC and his opinion is that it sucks. I’d rather not have to listen to it.”

“He badmouths our company in front of you?” Tommy asked with disbelief.

“I’ve never had him before, but he’s well known for saying negative stuff about QC.”

“Are you sure he’s saying bad things about QC and not about our family?” Tommy asked. The last thing he wanted was to subject his child to a bigoted teacher.

Bobby looked down and shrugged, “I don’t want to make a big deal about it. You, mom and daddy have enough to worry about.”

“Let’s go to bed. We’ll get this sorted in the morning,” Tommy said standing up. “For the record, your mom, dad, and I are always ready to listen to your problems. You let us decide if we have too much to worry about.”

“Are you going to tell mom and daddy about the hacking?” Bobby asked nervously as he walked up the stairs with his dad.

“What do you think the answer to that question is?”

“Yes,” Bobby said sheepishly.

“You’re going to want to trust that instinct,” Tommy draped an arm around his son’s shoulders.

“I’m guessing I’m grounded too,” Bobby sighed.

“That’s a good instinct too. Your mom, dad and I will discuss it and let you know your punishment.” Tommy kissed Bobby on the top of his head, “Good night.”

“Night, da,” Bobby hugged his dad. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Tommy rubbed Bobby’s back.

“Prue’s going to be okay,” Bobby held onto Tommy tighter. “She has to be.”

 

**2034**

Tommy looked up from the report he was reading in preparation for the Rebecca Foundation board meeting.  He could hear his children's laughter and they hadn’t even come through the front door yet.  The children had been participating in a karate competition, and from the sound of it, they all had a good time.

Tommy tried to support his children in all things, but he’d drawn the line at martial arts.  The first time Bobby took a kick to the chest at seven, Tommy had swooned.  It was decided that the children would continue with martial arts, but Tommy would stop watching.

Bobby, Prue and Nate ran into the kitchen clutching their trophies and ribbon.

"I won, da," Bobby handed his trophy to Tommy.

Tommy took a moment to admire the trophy that was nearly as tall as Prue.  "Congratulations, I'm proud of you."

"Look, da," Nate held his trophy above his head triumphantly, "I came in second."

"Good job," Tommy told his son as he returned Bobby's trophy in order to admire Nate’s. “I’m proud of you.”

Prue held up a ribbon for Tommy's inspection, "Look, da.  My ribbon is purple."

"It's a very pretty ribbon," Tommy lifted Prue into his arms. "I’m proud of you. Did you have fun?"

"Sensei says I'm getting stronger," Prue said with pride.

Tommy hugged his daughter close, "You get stronger every day."

Tommy caught Oliver's eye.  He was lurking in the doorway and shifting nervously from foot to foot.  Tommy did a quick headcount, "Where's Becca?"

"Don't get upset," Oliver began.

"If you don't want me to get upset, don't start a sentence with, don't get upset," Tommy stood Prue on a chair.

Oliver made a gesture and Becca entered the kitchen carrying a giant trophy.  Her face was lit up by a huge smile, but Tommy had eyes for only one thing -  Becca’s right eye was swollen shut and her cheek was purple and puffy.

"I won, da," Becca beamed.

"I can see that, sweetheart.  Are you okay?" he asked trying to sound neutral even as he was screaming inside.

"The doctor said I'll be fine," Becca informed him.

Tommy shot a look at his husband, "So, when you said you were going for ice cream, you were really going to the emergency room?"

"No, we went for ice cream," Oliver gestured at Bobby, Nate, and Prue.

"We went to the emergency room," Felicity informed him as she placed Becca's sword on the table.

"What happened?" Tommy asked as he gently touched the side of Becca's face.

"Kimmy Cantor elbowed me in the face," Becca said with pride.  "She lost points."

"I'm proud of you," Tommy told her.

"Danny McIntyre said I can take a hit like a boy," Becca stood a little taller.

"Sweetheart," Felicity tugged on her daughter’s braid, "girls are just as capable of competing as vigorously as boys."

Becca’s words made Tommy's stomach sour.  He clapped his hands together once, "Baths before dinner - let's go."

Tommy ushered the children towards the stairs.  "Nate and Prue in our tub.  Bobby and Becca, you decide who's going first in your bathroom."

Becca turned and proudly exclaimed, “Sensei says I should be competing against the boys and not the girls. You need to give permission.” She clasped her hands together, “Please, da. I know I can beat Danny McIntyre.”

“I’ll talk it over with your mom and dad later,” Tommy promised.

Becca flung her arms around his waist, “Thank you, da.”

An hour later, Tommy was supervising the twins putting on their pajamas.

"Sushi is here," Oliver informed them from the hallway.

Bobby and Becca ran by the twins’ bedroom like a herd of wild buffalo.

Oliver poked his head into the twins’ room.  "Hurry up, or there will only be unagi left," he teased the twins.

Nate and Prue squealed with disgust and ran past Oliver into the hall.

"You all right?" Oliver's brows were drawn together.

Tommy picked up the twins’ wet towels from the floor, "I love to hear my ten-year-old knows how to take a punch."

"Tommy, she didn’t take a punch. It was an accident." Oliver took the wet towels from his husband and dropped them onto the foot of Nate's bed.

"Our daughter’s eye is swollen shut. I could've gone my whole life and not seen that," Tommy said angrily.  He never wanted his children to know what it felt like to be hit.

"She had fun today," Oliver said.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Tommy snapped.

"Yes," Felicity said as she stepped into the room.  "She got hurt doing something she loves.  She wasn't afraid.  Rebecca wasn't abused.  She zigged when she should have zagged."

Tommy tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling.  He knew that his spouses were right.  Becca’s situation was nothing like what his had been.  Every bruise he received from Malcolm was an act of true violence.  Becca getting banged up participating in a sport she loved and excelled at was not even close to his experience with Malcolm. "I don't like seeing them get hit," he admitted, "but I know it's my problem, not theirs."

Felicity wrapped an arm around his waist, "Come on, we're missing the celebratory feast."

Tommy draped an arm around Felicity’s shoulder, "Why can't one of our children take up knitting or pottery?"

"Well, we can certainly float that idea during dinner," Felicity said with a grin.

Tommy didn't think they'd have a single taker.

 

**2038**

“Good morning, sweet pea,” Tommy said to Prue as he walked into the kitchen. “Why aren’t you watching the movie with your sister and brothers?”

Prue looked up at him, her blue eyes blinking behind the magnifying lenses she was wearing, “I wanted to put this back together.”

Tommy took in the mess spread across their farm table. Gizmos, gears, wires and circuits were covering the entire surface, “Please tell me that isn’t another household appliance.”

“It’s not another household appliance,” she answered as her focus shifted back to the item she held in her hand.

“Are you saying that to make me feel better or is it true?” Tommy teased.

A small smile played across Prue’s lips, “It’s actually true. Mommy took me to Uncle Curtis’ lab yesterday. He said he couldn’t get this to work and he said I could take it home and tinker with it.”

Tommy stopped scooping coffee into the coffee press. Most of the things not working in Curtis’ lab didn’t work due to spontaneous combustion, “Couldn’t get it to work because it keeps exploding or not working for non-exploding reasons?”

Prue giggled, “Well, it wasn’t exploding, but it was catching on fire.” She looked up, “Don’t worry, it’s not going to catch on fire now.”

“What is it? Something for QC?” Tommy asked as he returned to making coffee.

She shook her head, “No, it’s for Will. He wanted an arrow that could be used as a drill.”

“Great, your brother has you designing arrows for him now.”

“Uncle Curtis designed it,” Prue responded, “I’m just trying to see if I can get it to work.” Prue removed her magnifying glasses, “You’re not mad, are you?”

Tommy smiled at his youngest, “No. I think arrow designer for the Green Arrow will look great on your engineering school application.”

Prue crossed the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Tommy. She smiled up at him, “Merry Christmas, da.”

Tommy kissed the top of his daughter’s head, “Merry Christmas, sweet pea. Let’s try not to burn down the house today.”

“Well, it’s the fourth night of Hanukah, fire is kind of traditional,” Prue said with a wink that was more of an exaggerated blink.

Tommy shook his head, “Well, save it for the fifth night. I’d like to have a calm Christmas this year.”

Prue hissed through her teeth, “I think you’ve jinxed us now.”

Tommy couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re probably right.” He pointed to the table, “Put that away. Your nieces will be here any minute and we don’t need anyone choking on a drill bit arrow.”

Prue skipped back to the table and began to put her puzzle away into small, labeled, plastic containers. “Maybe I can show Will when the girls take their nap,” she said cheerfully. “I hope the girls like their presents.”

Tommy smiled indulgently. Prue was giving her nieces her second and third most favorite stuffed bunnies. She’d debated long and hard about giving them her favorite, West Point, but ultimately decided that he was impossible to part from. “You’re a very good aunt. They’re going to love their presents.”

 

**2039**

Tommy walked up to the sergeant’s desk, “I’m here to pick up my son, Robert Smoak.”

The police officer picked up his phone and said, “Someone’s here to pick up the Smoak kid.” He pointed to a bench, “The captain will be right with you.”

Tommy sat down on the bench and took several deep breaths. It would figure that their eighteen-year-old would wait for his mom and dad to be out of town to get arrested for the first time. Tommy had no idea what the charges were, but was guessing underaged drinking.

“Tommy,” a woman said quietly.

“Captain Drake,” Tommy rose to his feet. “I wish I could say it was nice to see you.”

Dinah smiled and gestured for him to follow, “Well, I’ve got to say I was both entirely surprised and completely unsurprised when I got the call about Bobby.”

“What did he do?” Tommy asked. “Public intoxication? DUI? Public indecency?”

Dinah shook her head, “Bobby was arrested, not you or Oliver in 2005.”

“Did he blow up his lab?” Tommy’s brain switched gears to what kind of trouble a genius could get into. “Did he hack a government agency?” he whispered.

Dinah led Tommy into an observation room. Bobby sat on the other side of the one-way glass. His clothing was disheveled, he had a bruise on his cheek and blood on his shirt. “He got into a fight?” Tommy asked with disbelief. “I better call the lawyers.”

Dinah’s squeezed Tommy’s shoulder, “He was leaving his lab when he heard a woman calling for help. He found three men trying to assault a young woman. Bobby took them down.”

“Is the young woman okay?” Tommy asked.

“She’s at the hospital getting checked out, but she’s going to be okay- thanks to Bobby,” Dinah said. “The three men, they’re probably going to be in overnight for observation.”

“How bad?” Tommy asked.

“A broken arm, two concussions, a broken wrist, a dislocated knee, a couple of broken fingers,” Dinah rattled off. She consulted her notes and laughed. Dinah looked at Tommy and winked, “His Aunt Sara teaches one hell of a self-defense class.”

Tommy shook his head at his son’s explanation for his fighting skills. Lessons from Aunt Sara was preferable to private tutorials from current and former members of Team Arrow, “Yeah, we wanted the kids to be able to defend themselves. What are the charges?”

“I recommended that we don’t’ file charges. I’m waiting on the District Attorney’s formal signoff, but when I spoke with him, he agreed. This was clearly self-defense. The men were armed with guns.”

Tommy’s knees went weak and he braced himself against the wall, “Guns?” He rubbed his hand over his face, “I’m going to kill him.”

“Don’t be too hard on him, he did a good thing tonight,” Dinah said kindly.

“I’m not going to kill Bobby, I’m going to kill Ollie,” Tommy muttered.

“Yeah, I definitely don’t want to be Oliver when he gets home, especially after you see this.” Dinah handed Tommy a bag, “I pulled this from the dumpster. How old was William when he put on the hood?”

Tommy opened the paper bag and immediately saw red, “Nineteen.”

“Bobby’s eighteen,” Dinah read from the file in her hand.

“May I speak with him?” Tommy asked through gritted teeth.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Are the cameras on?” he asked. The conversation Tommy wanted to have with his son was best not recorded.

“No.”

Tommy walked into the interrogation room and dropped the paper bag onto the table.

“Da,” Bobby said cautiously.

“Are you hurt?” Tommy asked as he dropped into the chair opposite his son. He eyed the three cameras in the room to confirm that they were off.

“Just a few bruises,” Bobby answered.

“Open the bag,” Tommy instructed.

Bobby reached for the bag with a shaking hand. He glanced inside and looked up at Tommy with tears in his eyes, “Da, I can explain.”

“Those men tonight, they had guns,” Tommy’s voice cracked as he fought back his own tears. “You faced off against three men - with guns - with nothing more than a hooded sweatshirt, a mask and your fists.”

“She was in trouble and needed my help. What was I supposed to do? Nothing?” Bobby asked with a raised voice. “You didn’t raise me to sit by when I see an injustice.”

“No, but I didn’t raise you to get shot either,” Tommy countered.

“I didn’t get shot,” Bobby said. “I surprised them and then disarmed them, just the way,” he stopped mid-sentence.

“Just the way your daddy taught you,” Tommy finished his son’s sentence.

Bobby nodded.

“How long have you been running around dressed like this?” Tommy asked.

“About six weeks,” Bobby answered.

“Does your dad know?” Tommy prayed his son’s answer would be, no. His marriage might not survive if it wasn’t.

“No,” Bobby said immediately. “He’d kill me if he knew.”

“Right now, your dad isn’t the parent you need to worry about killing you,” Tommy informed his son. “Does your brother know?”

“Will would kill me faster than daddy,” Bobby responded.

“Tonight, was the last time you’re ever putting on a mask. Do you understand me?” Tommy took the paper bag back. “The DA isn’t going to press charges. You saved that woman and I’m incredibly proud of you, but you’re studying to be a doctor, not a crime fighter. You can save more lives with your brain than you can with your fists.”

“Can’t I do both?” Bobby asked earnestly.

“No, I forbid it,” Tommy said channeling his inner Moira.

Bobby laughed, “You forbid it?”

“I do.”

“I’m eighteen. I don’t have to listen to you,” he said sullenly. “The government lets eighteen-year-olds fight in wars.”

“The government uses eighteen-year-old boys as cannon fodder because you’re swimming in testosterone and erroneously believe that you’re invincible. You might be a genius, but your brain is still developing. You’re too young to be out on the streets.”

“Mom and daddy will let me. They let William,” Bobby said smugly.

“You’re right that you no longer have to listen to me, but my husband and wife – they do need to listen to me. They will never agree to this, which means your nights in a mask are through.”

Bobby folded his arms across his chest, “I don’t need them to do this. I can do this without them.”

“If the captain of police wasn’t a former member of the team, what do you think would’ve happened if your mask had been found? The son of Oliver Queen taking down three armed men while wearing a mask is like painting a target on your dad and William’s backs. You know that your dad has always been suspected of being the Green Arrow. Robert, you put our whole family at risk.”

Bobby’s cheeks flamed red, “I’m sorry. I was only thinking I could help her.”

“God, why can’t you be more like me?” Tommy asked under his breath. “Why does everyone in this family insist on being heroes?”

“Daddy says doing the right thing doesn’t make you a hero. Doing the right thing is the bare minimum,” Bobby repeated one of Oliver’s favorite expressions.

Tommy wasn’t going to get into an argument about heroism. He was putting an end to Bobby’s vigilante dreams with his most reliable trump card, “When your mom gets home, all I’ll need to say is three gunmen and she’s going to use her loud voice and that’s going to be the end of this. You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t lock you in the attic.”

“Why is it okay for Will to be the Green Arrow, but not me?” Bobby sulked.

“I wasn’t okay with William putting on the mask, but I’m only his step-dad. I’m your father and your mom and dad would like to continue sleeping in our bed, so, no, you won’t be putting on the mask. I didn’t spend eighteen years raising you and your siblings only to have you get yourselves shot. Will doesn’t need to be last Green Arrow, but the next one won’t be you or your siblings.”

Bobby leaned across the table, “So, other people get to risk their lives to keep us safe, but not me?”

Tommy grasped his son’s hands, “Yes. There is only one Robert John Smoak and I’m not willing to risk your life by permitting you to follow in your dad’s footsteps. I can’t control a lot of things in this world. I can’t guarantee that any of the people I love will come home at the end of the day, but I can control this. I can say no to this. I’m sorry if this disappoints you, but you are never going to be a vigilante - not as long as there is breath in my body.”

“That’s not fair,” Bobby pulled his hands free. “You can’t protect us forever. You have to let us grow up – you have to let me grow up.”

“Ask yourself if you’re ready to take a life?” Tommy took hold of his son’s hand, “Your dad, your uncles, your brother – they’ve all taken a life. It’s not a game - it’s life and death. I don’t want this life for you or your brother and sisters.”

“Shouldn’t it be our choice?” Bobby challenged.

“Maybe it should be, but Bobby, when it comes to your safety, you don’t get a vote.”

A knock on the door was proceeded by Dinah sticking her head in, “The paperwork just came through. Bobby’s free to leave.”

“Captain Drake?” Bobby asked rising to his feet. “Is Shayna okay?”

Dinah clapped Bobby on the back, “Thanks to you, she’s going to be fine.”

“You’re not going to give me a lecture?” Bobby asked.

“Nope, I’m going to leave that to your parents, but Bobby, your parents have been at this a long time. They’ve survived doing this a long time. It might be worth listening to what they have to say.” Dinah hugged Bobby and then Tommy, “Get some sleep.”

“Thank you, Dinah.” Tommy picked up the paper bag and steered his son through the police station. “Let’s go home.”

 

Tommy sat in the dark at their kitchen table. The mug of tea in his hands had long gone cold. Bobby’s green sweatshirt and mask sat on the table in front of him. Tommy had spent enough time on the sea to know when the tide was against him. There was nothing he was going to be able to do or say that would stop Bobby from picking up his father’s mantle. Tommy might be able to delay the inevitable, but that would be all he could do. Bobby hadn’t confronted the men attacking a stranger because he had the skills to fight them, he ran into the alley because someone needed his help, and it had been the right thing to do. All these years, he’d been worrying about his children acquiring the skills they’d need to become vigilantes, all the while he and his spouses had been raising them to have the hearts of a hero.

The front door opened and closed. Oliver’s steady footfall and Felicity’s rapid click of her heels echoed down the hallway. Tommy rose from the table and dumped his full mug of chamomile into the sink. He began to prepare the coffee for the next morning.

“Hi, babe,” Felicity said as she entered the kitchen. She puckered her lips in solicitation of a kiss.

Tommy kissed his wife and pulled her into a hug, “How was your trip?”

“Productive?” She nuzzled his neck, “I’m sorry we missed the excitement.”

“Well, we have three more kids. I’m sure you’ll be home for one of their first arrests,” Tommy said with a straight face.

Oliver stood by the table holding Bobby’s mask between his fingers. “Did he make this?”

“He does have a state of the art lab at his disposal,” Tommy reminded his husband.

Oliver held it out towards Felicity, “It reminds me of the mask Barry first made me.”

Felicity took the mask and ran it between her fingers, “What are we going to do?”

“You’re going to make sure he’s prepared,” Tommy told them.

“What?” Oliver and Felicity said together.

Tommy leaned against the sink, “I told him no, but I know that he won’t listen. He wants to do this and I’m not going to make him sneak around. If he’s going to do it, I want to make sure he’s been trained by the best and has the support he needs so he doesn’t get himself killed.”

“Tommy,” Oliver approached his cautiously, “I will tell him, no. I’ll make it clear to him that his behavior is unacceptable.”

Tommy shook his head, “Bobby being a hero like his mom and dad is as inevitable as the sun rising in the east. Just make sure he’s as safe as he can be.”

“Really, da?” Bobby asked from the doorway.

“It’s midnight. Doesn’t anyone in this family sleep?” Tommy asked.

“I heard mom and daddy come in. I thought I’d get a head start on pleading for mercy,” Bobby said sheepishly.

Felicity crooked her finger at him and Bobby crossed the kitchen. She reached out and gently caressed his bruised cheek, “We’re very proud of you, but also incredibly pissed.”

“Dad?” Bobby asked Oliver nervously. “Are you really going to train me?”

Oliver’s arms were folded across his chest and his jaw ticked. “After the stunt you pulled tonight, I’m inclined to say, no.”

“But, da says you can train me,” Bobby spluttered.

Oliver arched a brow, “I’m going to talk to your mom and dad and we’re going to decide what’s going to happen. You’re done going out on the street until I say otherwise. Do you understand?”

Bobby nodded eagerly, “Yes.”

“It can’t interfere with your school work,” Oliver said sternly.

“The classroom work is nothing,” Bobby said casually. “I could pass the boards tomorrow, if they’d let me take them.”

Felicity cleared her throat.

“But I take all my classes and studying seriously,” Bobby said solemnly.

“If we agree to this, school must remain your top priority. Once your training begins, you will do everything your mom, uncles, William and I tell you. Understood?” Oliver asked.

“Yes.” Bobby launched himself at Oliver and hugged his dad, “Thank you. I’ll do everything you tell me to.”

“That will be a first,” Oliver patted Bobby’s back. “Don’t get too excited. We haven’t made a final decision yet.”

Bobby approached Tommy warily, “Thank you for listening to me – for changing your mind.”

Tommy held his arms open and Bobby stepped into his embrace. Tommy kissed his son’s cheek, “Please, don’t make me regret this.”

“I’ll do my best,” Bobby promised.

Tommy let go of his son and smiled, “I know you will. You always do.”

“Goodnight,” Bobby said to his parents with a broad smile. “Thank you.”

Oliver waited until they heard Bobby start to run up the stairs before he approached his husband. “Are you sure about this?”

“No, but I know it’s what we have to do,” Tommy replied. “It seems like I’m destined to spend my life loving and worrying about heroes.”

Oliver wrapped his arms around his husband, “We’ll take it slowly. I’ll work him so hard in his training he’ll be too exhausted to do anything but go to sleep at night. He’s my baby too.”

“Our baby,” Felicity added as she looped an arm around each of her husband’s waists. “I think he’d be a better Overwatch 2.0 than Green Arrow 3.0. I’ll keep him busy behind my monitors too.”

“Dinah pulled footage of Bobby fighting those men off a security camera. I think we have a renaissance man on our hands,” Oliver said as he pulled his cell from his pocket. He pulled up the video and held it for his spouses to see.

Tommy watched as his son appeared out of nowhere. In less than fifteen seconds, Bobby disarmed and disabled all three assailants. Even with the brutality of the fight, Bobby was graceful and efficient with his movements. If Tommy didn’t know that he was looking at their son, he would think he was watching Oliver. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Like father like son.”

“Tommy, he’s an intuitive fighter and he’s great with a bow,” Oliver said with pride. “I’ll teach him everything I know.”

“I won’t make you promise that nothing will happen to him, because that’s a promise you can’t make, but Ollie, he’s eighteen and fearless. He’s a genius, but he lets his heart lead when his head should. Teach him to make smart decisions. Teach him that coming home at the end of the night is what he’s out there fighting for.”

“I promise, that will be our first lesson.” Oliver tenderly kissed his husband and wife, “Come on, let’s go to bed before everyone else wakes up.”

Tommy followed Oliver and Felicity up the stairs. They checked on a sleeping Becca, Nate and Prue. All three looked up the stairs to the third floor. As one, they climbed the stairs to their eldest’s room. Bobby’s door was opened and his parents stood with their arms around each other as they watched him sleep. Asleep, he looked more like a boy than a man. His features were soft and his wavy hair curled along his forehead. Their son was technically an adult, with two PhDs and a MD in the works. He had a job and an apartment, and paid his own bills, but whenever Tommy looked at him, he still saw his little man with the impish grin. It hardly seemed possible that his son was old enough to drive, let alone fight crime. His eyes drifted to the poster hanging over Bobby’s bed and he frowned, “I guess this means he’s going to get a motorcycle.”

“No way,” Felicity whispered. “He’s driving the van. If Dig never complained, neither should Bobby.”

Tommy covered his mouth to keep from laughing.

Oliver’s lips ghosted across Tommy’s ear, “Maybe we can trade the panel van in for a minivan.”

Tommy smiled at the thought of his family of leather-clad vigilantes driving around the city in the family minivan.

“Better?” Oliver asked.

Tommy hummed his agreement. “Promise me, you’ll give him a silly name.”

“Like what?” Felicity asked as she led her husbands back downstairs to their room.

“I don’t know – something with - doctor,” he mused as he climbed into bed.

“I’ll ask Cisco,” Felicity said as she slid next to Tommy. “His names are usually more ridiculous than ours.”

Tommy laid awake in bed, long after his spouses had fallen asleep, staring at the ceiling. He doubted he’d ever sleep again.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Kudos and comments are always welcomed and appreciated. Hearing from you is my favorite part of the day.
> 
> Say it with me, poor Tommy. He never stood a chance. lol
> 
> This installment had lots of little hints, subtle and not so subtle, of things to come.
> 
> Prompt requests are encouraged.
> 
> You can also come say hi to me on tumblr. http://realityisoverrated-fic.tumblr.com


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